Pulling Heaven Down
by leavingnaokthxbai
Summary: After a mentor’s death, Dawn is asked to perform a specific delivery. However, she can’t do it alone. Full summary within. Pearlshipping, Shoppingshipping, please read full summary.
1. Prologue

**Welcome to my new fic. And it's not Harry Potter! ...What's going on? Ah well. This is "Pulling Heaven Down". ****PHD is set five years after Ash's journey in Sinnoh ends and takes place on a tropical island way down south...an island that is home to ruins said to have magical properties.  
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**At Professor Rowan's funeral, Dawn sees a person she'd hoped to forget. Not long after this, an elderly woman asks her for a favour: hatch a 150-year-old Teddiursa egg in the Ruins of Calarai, which is farther south than she's ever travelled. Dawn eagerly accepts; however, it appears that she is not the only one on the way south. Like it or not, this isn't a journey she can manage on her own. And why does she have the nagging suspicion that they're being followed? Yes, title is shamelessly borrowed from "Blue October", but titles are my weakness and the story has nothing to do with the song. I just like the sound of it.  
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**This story contains two ships: Pearlshipping (Ash/Dawn) and Shoppingshipping (Brock/May). I realise that most people will shy away from Brock/May, but its role in this fic is minimal and I ask that you please give it a chance.**

**As a final note, big thanks to Milotic, my beta-reader.

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**Prologue**

Death was not something that Dawn was used to being around. Years ago she'd witnessed the death of a Pokémon, but he'd been restored to life soon after. Pokémon could do that. People could not. As devastated as she was, Dawn also realised that people couldn't live forever: Professor Rowan was old, and it was simply his time to go. As far as she knew, he went peacefully in his sleep and was surrounded by this Pokémon as he died. As comforting as that was, she couldn't stop the tears that fell down her cheeks.

She didn't really know what caused her to look to her right; it might have been intuition, or perhaps coincidence. Whatever the reason, Dawn looked up and felt her breath catch in her throat. Standing next to Professor Oak was her old mentor, Ash Ketchum, whose face looked blank as he stared at the casket. Anger swelled within Dawn; he had no real connection to Professor Rowan. He had no reason to be there. If anything, he was there to just harass her, to rub her failures in her face like he did before—

She snapped her head back as he looked towards her, staring determinedly at the casket as it lowered into the earth. She tried to focus on the rest of the funeral as Rowan's family said their goodbyes, tossing flowers onto his grave after it was filled with dirt, but the fury at Ash's appearance distracted her from all else. When they'd parted five years ago, she had sworn to never see or speak to him again and he had done the same. Call her immature, but she couldn't forgive him for what he said to her.

People began to move away, fanning themselves from the heat, and Dawn took that as her cue to turn and go before Ash tried to get near her. Her stupid shoes – her stupid, expensive heels that she just had to buy because they were on sale – were awkward and uncomfortable on the grass, making travelling difficult, and her rising skirt didn't help much either. She hadn't had any trouble on her way over, but then, it had been cooler outside and she wasn't hurrying. Dawn made it to the vehicle before her mother did and jiggled the handle, kicking the tire in frustration when she found it was locked.

"Slow down, Dawn," her mother scolded, finally catching up to her daughter. "I'm not as young as I used to be. What's your rush?"

"No rush," Dawn lied, wiping the tears away from her face. "I just...it's really hard, saying goodbye to him, you know? I mean...he gave me Piplup." She instinctively stuck her fingers inside her purse to touch the Pokéball containing the Penguin Pokémon, which would have come out had Pokémon been permitted inside the graveyard.

"It's always hard to say goodbye to someone you cared about, Dawn, but to rush out...it's disrespectful. Imagine what his family is thinking!"

"I'm sorry, all right? I mean, I want to...just forget it." She clenched her jaw, glancing back at the casket, where Ash was helping Professor Oak walk back to his own vehicle. With a jolt, she saw Ash help the professor into the passenger side and realised that he was indeed old enough to drive now. She wondered if he had his own vehicle (the stickers on the windows indicated that it was a rental car) but then shook her head. There was no way she'd allow herself to be curious about anything in his life.

She and her mother drove back to Twinleaf Town in silence, and after a few minutes Dawn began to feel despair for Professor Rowan's death again. She sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes with her palm. "Oh," she said softly, then reached inside her purse and let Piplup out of its Pokéball. The little blue penguin ruffled his feathers before snuggling against Dawn, tears forming in his own eyes. She held him close all the way home and carried him up to her room with her when they arrived. While she shed the last of her tears into her pillow, Piplup curled up next to her head. They fell asleep soon after, Dawn dreaming of the day Professor Rowan first gave her the little penguin.


	2. A Proposition

**Chapter One A Proposition**

It was the heat that woke Dawn. As it beat down on her through the window, it made her pyjamas feel far too hot and sticky. She shifted to try and find a more comfortable position. Nothing worked; with a dejected sigh, she slid out of bed and headed over to her closet. At the very back hung the outfit she'd worn during most of her travels with Ash. For the first time in years, she paused while shifting through other clothes to look at it.

There was considerably more wear-and-tear on the clothes than there had been when starting out, but she had never wanted to repair them. It wasn't like she fit into them anymore; besides, they were marks of her adventures way back when she barely knew what she was doing as a trainer. She brushed her fingertips over the front softly, then curled her lip at how much dust came off. One of these days, she'd just have to clean –

"Pip?"

Dawn jumped slightly and smiled. Piplup stood at her feet, staring up at her inquisitively. He rubbed his head against her leg affectionately. With a soft chuckle, Dawn found herself thinking about how he couldn't do that if he had evolved. When she, Ash and Brock were finishing their travels through Sinnoh, Piplup had started to evolve and stopped himself. Ash explained how his Bulbasaur had done the same thing ages ago, and how he'd had a chance to make his Pikachu evolve as well. Piplup would become more powerful, he'd said, which could help in contest battles. "But then it won't be Piplup," Dawn had argued. She'd thought it over for a few days before asking Piplup himself if he wanted to change.

Evidently he hadn't: even after their years together, he had chosen to remain a Piplup. Dawn had thought she'd be happy either way, but now that she'd had time to reflect on their choice, she was glad that he remained the way he was. Her Piplup might not ever be as powerful as an Empoleon, but he still had a great heart and the same personality she'd come to love.

A small peck at her leg brought Dawn back to the present. "Can't sleep," she said. "It's just too hot."

In the end, Dawn dressed in simple shorts and a tee. She'd grown out of wearing skirts after finishing her travels through Sinnoh. It had proven too cold to wear them at Snowpoint City, and besides, she had done a bit too much running and jumping to wear them anyhow. Her mother had been right: being a trainer on the road left little time for fashion.

Piplup seemed to have decided that he could sleep through a bit of heat and went back to the bed, taking Dawn's place on the pillow. Yawning, Dawn left her own room, nearly tripping over Glameow on her way downstairs. The cat was getting old and spent most of her days sleeping. Dawn's mother was beginning to show great concern. She couldn't blame her. Johanna had had Glameow for nearly two decades now, and cats didn't have quite as long of a life as other Pokémon.

Johanna was up already. A steaming cup of coffee sat on the table in front of her as she read the paper. Her eyelids were swollen, her eyes red. She'd been crying. Then again, Dawn didn't imagine she looked much different. "Hello, dear," she said tiredly as Dawn entered the kitchen.

"Hi, Mom." Dawn flopped into a chair opposite Johanna and folded her hands in front of her. "You couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"No. I need to get that air conditioner fixed. I keep meaning to call, but there're so many other jobs to be done..."

"Yeah. It's not a big deal, though." Dawn twiddled her thumbs and chewed on her lower lip. There were many mornings when she and her mother barely spoke, but this one was different. They were _avoiding _something. After all, they hadn't officially spoken about Professor Rowan since his death and Dawn knew that the conversation was imminent – dreaded as it was.

"What are your plans for today, Dawn?"

"Oh...I don't know. Actually, before...well, before I was planning on taking on the Kanto Grand Festival. I mean, I've gone through Sinnoh, Hoenn and Johto, and I don't have quite enough money saved to travel elsewhere yet. Kanto is pretty close by, so I thought I'd give that a try."

"It took you long enough. You've had years to travel Kanto. Why wait until now?"

Dawn shrugged innocently. The truth was that talking about Kanto was an excuse to not talk about the late Professor. She had no desire to go there just yet.

The morning passed slowly. Combined with the intense heat, Dawn almost felt like she was moving through glue. Her mother suggested that she take her Pokémon with her to Lake Verity for a swim, and the idea was sorely tempting. After gathering a bag of supplies and finding her Pokéballs, she went out to the small backyard where most of her Pokémon slept under the shade of the tree.

"Wake up," she called cheerfully. "Come on. We're going swimming."

Pachirisu was up in an instant, and it began to run around Dawn in circles excitedly. Lopunny was much calmer as she slowly woke herself up and made her way over to her. Her Vulpix, acquired while she travelled through Johto, was still quite shy and hid behind her tails until Dawn offered more encouragement. "How about some poffins, then?" Dawn grinned, and Vulpix seemed to make up her mind. She trotted over to Dawn and sat down at her feet, looking up at her expectantly. Dawn pulled a sweet poffin out of her pocket and gave it to the fox-like Pokémon, who ate it greedily.

"We're missing someone," Dawn said with a small frown. She wasn't referring to her Mamoswine, for it had evolved from Piloswine a few days before she caught Vulpix. They'd stumbled across a small herd of Swinubs and Piloswines that had fallen into an old poaching trap. Piloswine evolved to help save them from the trap, and when one of the wild Piloswines fell for him, Dawn decided that it was best to leave him there. She wasn't referring to Ambipom either, for the Long Tail Pokémon lived at the Pokémon Centre in Sandgem Town now. Upon Dawn's return, Nurse Joy had sent out "Help Wanted" ads and after seeing the way in which Ambipom could effortlessly carry at least six potions with her tails, she'd asked Dawn for permission to hire her. Ambipom had been thrilled to help out, and Dawn still went up almost every day to visit her.

The missing Pokémon in question decided to show Dawn that he was, indeed, present by head-butting the backs of her knees. Dawn stumbled forward with a surprised gasp; regaining her balance, she whirled around to scold the smaller-than-usual Grass Pokémon. "That was naughty of you, you know!" she said, waving her finger accusingly.

"Chiko!" Chikorita turned his head to the side indignantly. Head-butting was his own odd little way of showing affection for her, which was something Dawn never understood but thought was endearing. She'd rescued him early on in Hoenn: a breeder of Grass types had seven eggs stolen from him, and Dawn helped to get them back. Chikorita had had hatched immediately upon return. Because he'd hatched so early, he was smaller than he should have been and still was on the runty side. He and Dawn had taken a liking to each other, so the breeder gave him to her as a way of saying "thanks". Chikorita had proven himself to be quite useful to Dawn, both in battles and contests. His Petal Dance often won the judges and audience over more than anything else. In fact, she had used Chikorita in the appeal round at the Hoenn Grand Festival. He'd gotten her through so that she and Piplup were able to win the rest.

"Okay! All present and accounted for!" Dawn pulled out her Pokéballs and tossed them into the air. "Come on, everyone!" Red lights surrounded her Pokémon – save for Chikorita, who simply had to dodge it – and they returned to the balls. "Fine, then, Chikorita. I guess you don't get to come swimming at Lake Verity."

The Leaf Pokémon seemed to consider his options, then begrudgingly allowed Dawn to place him back inside his ball. Piplup also went inside his for the short trip, which Dawn managed to make quickly on her bike.

The lake was already beginning to get crowded as residents of both Sandgem Town and Twinleaf Town arrived to swim. Dawn found a tree and put her bike against it while she shed her pack and pulled her shirt over her head. "Come on out!" she said as she tossed all six Pokéballs in the air. Piplup was first in the water, splashing in noisily. He was followed closely by Pachirisu and Lopunny. Chikorita, not one to be outdone, pulled himself onto a tree branch with Vine Whip before leaping off and into the lake. Dawn stepped in gingerly; when she was about waist-deep, she bent her knees so that the water covered her shoulders and turned to Vulpix. "You coming?"

The shy fire-type hesitated. Dawn coaxed her some more, but Vulpix wasn't willing. Instead, she trotted over to the tree and curled up beside Dawn's bag and merely watched them. "You're missing out!" Dawn teased, but she didn't force her into entering.

Almost instantly, Dawn felt relief from the heat. She sighed and shut her eyes in contentment, moving so that she was floating on her back. Others were laughing nearby, leaping into the water and occasionally splashing her, but she didn't mind. She opened her eyes and squinted against the bright light; her vision went blurry for a moment and she thought back to the day she'd first met Piplup. They'd come across Lake Verity and Dawn had thought she'd seen something floating above it. The shape hadn't been clear and she'd put it out of her mind until now.

Thinking of her first day as a trainer brought her mind back to Professor Rowan. She'd managed to put him out of her mind for a while, but he'd wormed his way back in.

"GERONIMO!"

The voice came from almost directly above Dawn. She barely had time to gasp before someone leapt over her and landed barely a foot to her left. As the kid surfaced, Dawn splashed at him angrily. "Watch it!" she snapped. "You could've hit me, you know!"

The boy, who looked a few years younger than Dawn, turned to face her with a big grin splashed across his face. Despite him looking somewhat familiar, Dawn simply couldn't place him – not that she cared to do so. After all, he'd nearly _jumped on her_. "Are you even listening?" she snapped.

"Of course I'm listening," the kid said. He ran his hands over his hair, a shade darker than Dawn's, to push it out of his face. "And I did see you, you know."

"Then why did you make a point of trying to jump on me?"

"Don't be so antagonistic," a female voice laughed from Dawn's right, and this was clearly a voice she recognised. With a big grin, Dawn turned and saw a slender young woman calmly swimming towards them. Her brown hair was styled specifically to fall in thick strands on either side of her face and her blue eyes lit up with excitement as the girls saw each other.

"May!"

"Hey, Dawn. How are you?" May stopped short of Dawn and the younger boy, shooting a scolding glance his way. "Max, behave yourself."

Dawn looked back at the kid, whom she was now able to remember. She'd seen him briefly many years ago when she and May competed at the Wallace Cup. Though she and May had run into each other since then, she hadn't seen Max at all. Last time she and May met up, she'd learned that Max had turned ten and acquired a Ralts he'd saved when he was younger. They had taken on the Hoenn League and finished in the Top Eight, if Dawn remembered May's update correctly.

"I'm great," Dawn replied. "Well...I mean, as great as I could be. I suppose you heard that Professor Rowan died."

"Yeah, Ash told me. He's here, did you know? Professor Oak came for the funeral, and he was invited to a university to be a guest speaker. Ash volunteered to bring him here for both, and he wanted to come to the funeral too. Professor Oak can't drive anymore, poor man. His eyesight is getting really bad."

"Oh..."

"I'm really sorry about your loss. He gave you your starter, didn't he?" They both looked towards Piplup, who was happily floating on its back and blowing small bubbles skyward.

"He helped me out a lot over the years, actually."

May nodded knowingly. "Professor Birch is great that way, too. He's still quite young for a Pokémon Professor...not to rub it in or anything!" she added quickly. Dawn shook her head.

"It's all right. He was really old...it was just his time, you know? I mean, it happens to everyone and every Pokémon eventually." It was on the tip of her tongue to mention Johanna's Glameow, but she held back. If she did, May or Max might begin to think she was begging for pity.

"I can't believe you didn't know Ash was in Sinnoh. I thought he would come straight to your house to see you."

Dawn blinked. May obviously didn't know about the falling-out. "Ash and I haven't spoken in a long time," she admitted in a tone she hoped told May that she didn't want to talk about it.

May seemed to understand: she gave her a curious stare, but simply nodded. Max, on the other hand, didn't get the hint. "Why not, Dawn?" he inquired. May kicked out at him under water and he jumped at the blow. "What was that for?"

"We had an argument," Dawn sighed. This time, Max didn't push the matter, though it seemed to only pique May's curiosity. "So...you've spoken to him, then?"

"Oh yeah. He went to some island in the north a few months ago and stopped by my place on the way back to show off his badges – and trophy. He's the League Champion there! He was so proud of himself, and was showing off all of his Pokémon and being all...well, you know...being all _Ash_ about it." May treaded water for a moment before asking, "So what have you been up to, Dawn? Any plans for the future?"

"I thought about taking on the Kanto Grand Festival, like you did, but I'm not too sure about it. I don't think I'm ready for Kanto yet. I came back from Johto a while ago."

"Oh, really? Isn't Johto pretty?"

"I loved it! I didn't do so well in the Grand Festival, though. I mean, I was Top Four, but I won the Hoenn Grand Festival so I just assumed I'd do just as well in Johto."

"Your win in Hoenn was amazing," May sighed happily. She had decided to re-try Sinnoh at the same time Dawn challenged Hoenn, but after coming up short in the Grand Festival, she'd returned home to watch Dawn's victory. "Okay, enough contest-talk. How's the love life?"

"Oh, _gross_," said Max, who'd been listening to their chatter in silence. He swam off while May and Dawn giggled.

"It's non-existent," Dawn admitted with a blush. "I mean, when you travel, there's not a whole lot of opportunity for romance." She eyed May playfully and smirked. "Or _is_ there, May?"

It was May's turn to blush and she bit her lip bashfully. "Well, I'm not a girl to kiss-and-tell...but you always are able to make time for good things, right?" She briefly spoke of a boy who had been her rival since she first began to compete in contests. "At the last contest I was in, it came down to Wartortle and I versus Drew and his Roserade. I won by a fraction of a point, I swear. When he came up to shake my hand...well, he kind-of took it as an opportunity to pull me closer."

"Did he kiss you?" Dawn squeaked. "Right in the middle of the stadium in front of all those people?"

"Just a little bit," May grinned. "I mean, he did, but it was very brief. It was like a peck-on-the-lips instead of a peck-on-the-cheek. I watched the video of it later and it looks more like he just bumped into me. But it was sweet."

"So are you and he...you know...together?"

The brunette shook her head and shrugged. "Well, I don't quite know. I told him I saw him as more of a..." She trailed off sheepishly, as though too humiliated with herself to continue.

"A friend?" Dawn offered.

"Worse: a _rival_." She let out a heavy sigh and continued: "So we agreed to stay in touch and keep competing. I said that I did think he was nice and that it was really sweet of him to do that, but because of what we're doing...well, you know the deal."

Dawn nodded. May was bright red, though she also looked ready to burst with excitement as she relived the tale. They chatted more about new friends they'd made, in both people and Pokémon. Dawn updated May on the status of her party, and May revealed that she had taken Skitty back from the Petalburg Gym for more training and let her Venusaur to return to Professor Oak's lab and stay with Ash's Bulbasaur.

"So how come you and Max are in Sinnoh?" Dawn finally asked. She didn't remember seeing either of them at the funeral yesterday.

"Max is taking on the Pokémon League here. Mom and Dad let him go through Hoenn on his own because he'd done it before with Ash, Brock and I, but since Sinnoh is new to him they wanted me to go too. Max was less than thrilled. I'm okay with coming here, though. I mean, when you're traveling because you have contests to win, you miss so much of the scenery. We just arrived in Sinnoh this morning, but I've already noticed so much that I missed when I came here for the contests." She paused to rub Piplup's head, for the little penguin had swum up to investigate the visitor. "Besides, Max needs someone to help him train his Pokémon. He can't always rely on battles with wild Pokémon or other trainers that he meets."

"Well, your first stop should be the laboratory. I mean...well...I don't know who's taken over there, but he can upgrade his Pokédex and whatnot."

"Good idea." May suddenly leaned in close and said in a hushed tone, "You should see his Gardevoir, Dawn. That Ralts I mentioned? It evolved into Kirlia after their first Gym Battle in Hoenn and became Gardevoir right before he took on the League. I thought they were an unbeatable team, Dawn. A trainer and his Absol took them out almost at the very end. I think Gardevoir took it harder than Max did. It took her a few days to regain her confidence."

"Gardevoir is a girl?"

"There was no doubt in my mind from the second she became a Kirlia. I mean, she's gotta be female. That, or very flamboyant." She raised her eyebrows pointedly and Dawn snorted.

They talked more about all things feminine, from fashion to celebrities to new recipes for Pokémon treats. May promised to make Dawn a copy for sweet Pokéblocks after she learned of Vulpix's sweet tooth. Dawn, in return, said that she'd give her a recipe for Poffins which helped to bring a beautiful sheen to a Pokémon's coat.

It seemed like no time at all before afternoon began to slip into evening. With a shock, Dawn realised that her fingers had turned all wrinkled from her time in the water and Max swam back to remind May that they hadn't made any plans for a place to stay that night. Darkness had a habit of falling fast in Sinnoh, so Dawn offered to let them stay with her that night.

"I'm just in Twinleaf Town," she said. "I rode my bike out here, but it's only about a twenty-minute walk. It's closer than Sandgem Town."

"We don't want to be any trouble—"

"It's no trouble. Besides, my mom has been wanting to meet you since the Wallace Cup."

"That was _years _ago!" May exclaimed as they climbed out of the lake. "Oh, I wish I'd known, or I would have come to visit."

"Well, you're visiting now." Dawn recalled her Pokémon and placed them back into her back. She considered going behind a rock and changing into her dry shorts, but since she was now walking home she decided to simply remain how she was. Besides, it was still hot out and maybe she'd stay cooler if she remained wet. May, who was simply in a bikini, copied Dawn and pulled shorts on over her bottoms. Max decided to change completely and joined the girls. His stomach growled noisily as they followed Dawn back to Twinleaf Town.

"Is that your car?" Max gasped in admiration as Dawn pointed out her house. "It's awesome!"

Dawn laughed, for she'd never thought of her mother's old car as "awesome". She followed Max's gaze, then frowned in confusion. There was a strange car in their driveway. It was bright red and seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. The car was low to the ground and a convertible with white leather seats inside. On the front grill was an odd emblem: a full moon with a crescent-shaped portion coloured in pale pink with the words _Capere Luna_ written in cursive beneath. Dawn examined it curiously as they passed it. It certainly wasn't a car from around here.

"Mom?" she called as they entered the house. Johanna returned her voice and asked her to come to the family room. Dawn obeyed, May and Max following.

"Oh, you're May!" Johanna said immediately upon seeing the visitors. "And you must be...Max, is it? Welcome. My, I wasn't expecting so many visitors today. I would have tidied up the house a bit more." Dawn checked herself from rolling her eyes, for the house always seemed impeccably clean to her. It must have been a "mother thing". "Dawn, this is Lady Lalioné." She indicated the mysterious visitor who was sitting on the sofa.

She was an elderly woman, looking far older than Professor Oak. Her snow-white hair was fluffy around her face, looking more like cotton swaps than actual hair. Wrinkles nearly concealed her brown eyes, which were oddly bright for a woman of such an age. She held an elaborate wooden cane across her lap, and Dawn noticed that she wore a deep purple gown with golden embroidery. Her fingers were covered with rings, her wrists with bangles, and around her neck hung a curved green object that resembled a feather. With a jolt, Dawn realised she recognised it as a Lunar Wing. She had one herself.

"Good evening, children," she said. Her voice sounded remarkably youthful, almost bell-like.

"Hello," Dawn said. May and Max hung back, unsure of themselves.

"Oh, and behind you is her assistant, Mr. Crawford," Johanna added. Dawn turned and saw the man in question: a tall, built man around her mother's age dressed in a fancy suit. In his rather-large (and rather hairy, Dawn noted) hand he held a small glass of water with a straw in it. He nodded in greeting to Dawn before passing her and going to Lady Lalioné. He placed the straw against her lips delicately and she took a long drink from it. Once she'd had her fill, Mr. Crawford held the water and stood very straight and still beside her.

"I came here looking for you earlier today, Dawn," Lady Lalioné said. "Your mother offered to fetch you from Lake Verity, but I told her not to trouble you."

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Dawn said quickly. Despite the smile Lady Lalioné offered her, Dawn had the feeling that this wasn't a woman to irritate.

"Not at all. You just suffered a deep and personal loss. I understand that you needed to be alone. My own Saul left me not three years ago and I still wonder if I'll ever get over him." She motioned to Crawford and took another drink of water. "I apologise for my inconvenient timing, but you see, this is something that simply cannot wait. I do hate to intrude upon your house, but could I please speak with Dawn in private?"

"Oh..." Johanna blinked, taken aback. "I suppose. May, Max, come to the backyard with me and we'll let your Pokémon out. May, you must tell me about your adventures." She shot a pointed glance at Dawn as she ushered the other two out of the house, which clearly meant that she was to learn every word that passed after Lady Lalioné left.

Dawn glanced at Crawford, who hadn't moved. Lady Lalioné waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mind him, Dawn. He's here to help me. Now, down to business." She made another motion to Crawford, who turned around and bent down to rummage through a large purse. He pulled out a circular case of glass. Inside was a light brown egg with pale cream markings on it.

"Is that a Pokémon egg?" Dawn asked, sitting in a chair opposite the couch. She hadn't seen one since rescuing the seven in Hoenn, and had never seen one of that colour or pattern.

"Yes," Lady Lalioné answered quietly. "It contains a Teddiursa, Dawn. This particular Teddiursa egg was found in Ice Path just a short while ago. It is over one hundred and fifty years old."

Dawn did a double-take. "But it looks so new!"

"That's the mystery. Oh, I've always loved Teddiursas. Ever since I was a little girl, I'd dreamed of raising one myself. Alas, it never happened for me. Then this one came along. Well, you have no idea how happy I was when I'd heard that a Teddiursa egg was found and it could be mine. Then I was told of the age. The thing is, Dawn, it was perfectly preserved in ice. That's why it's frozen, as you can see. There's a remote possibility that the baby could still hatch normally...if certain steps are taken."

"What does all of this—"

"—have to do with you? I'm getting there." She paused to sip more water. "On the southern island of Calarai, there was an ancient civilisation that believed in resurrection. They believed that they could bring people and Pokémon back to life. Years ago, scientists explored the ruins, taking with them Pokémon fossils they found on the way. They reported that they walked into a small room at the top of one temple, and the fossil suddenly came to life." She inhaled deeply and shut her eyes. "I'm not the young trainer I once was, Dawn. Those ruins can only be reached on foot. I've been watching your progress since the Hoenn Grand Festival a couple of years ago. I looked into your background a bit as well. There are rumours that you've come into contact with some Legendary Pokémon."

Dawn blinked. She'd never officially spoken to anyone about seeing Legendaries. A witness must have said something, she figured.

"You remind me of myself as a young trainer. Dawn, I would like to entrust this egg to you. I would like you to hatch it for me at the ruins."

"What? But Lady Lalioné...why don't you take it to the Oreburgh Mining Museum? They can revive fossils—"

"I've already approached them. This egg is 'too new', they said. Dawn, please. This is so very important to me." Her eyes began to glisten with tears. "This might be my only chance to raise the Teddiursa of my dreams."

Despite feeling her heart go out to the old woman, Dawn was still hesitant. "How will I get to the island?"

"I have private air transportation ready, both there and back. I've hired guides and survival experts to get you to the ruins and back to civilisation. Believe me, Dawn, I've planned everything out. All I need is you."

"But why me? It's just that there are so many better trainers out there—"

"I told you: you remind me of myself. I'm willing to put my trust in you. And Dawn, if it doesn't work, at least you tried." She sighed and Crawford helped her with more water. "And if you need further persuasion, I'm more than willing to offer payment in cash."

"Oh, I don't need money—"

"No? A young trainer with so much potential has no need for travel money? There are so many places to explore outside of Sinnoh, Dawn, places you can't even imagine. There are places and Pokémon you couldn't think of in your wildest dreams. Are you saying that you're content to sit at home now? Your mother was saying how concerned you were about not being able to afford to simply go to Kanto. I could pay you enough money to _buy _half of Kanto itself."

Money to travel...now that was a tempting offer. Dawn did want to help her out anyhow, but now...if she did this, she could go anywhere she wanted in the world. Then again, Professor Rowan had just died and perhaps now wasn't the best time to embark on another adventure.

"I'd like to help, but..."

"Like I said, I know this is an inconvenient time. But if you agree, you must leave by tomorrow. You see, certain companies wish to purchase the island and transform it into a tourist attraction. Whatever power the ruins possess will be lost, if they win. I'm trying to stall them as long as possible, but they seem to be winning. Dawn, you must get that egg to those ruins by the next full moon."

"You know that I have to discuss this with my mother."

"I already told her that I was here to ask you for a favour that would take you far away. I simply left out the details. She thinks it will be good for you. It will get your mind off of...other matters."

Dawn looked out of a window at the back of the house, where she could just see May as she released her Pokémon from their Pokéballs. They had just got there, and Dawn wanted to spend a bit more time with them. She didn't know either as well as Ash and Brock did, but she liked them a lot so far and since they were in Sinnoh, she'd have plenty of opportunities to see them. But if she went down to Calarai Island, she could miss their entire Sinnoh journey. Who knew when she'd see either of them again?

Lady Lalioné followed her gaze and smiled. "I'm sure there's room for your friends to come, if that's what you were worried about. In fact, the more the merrier."

Dawn chewed on her lip thoughtfully for a moment. She could do this strange old lady a favour, she figured. After all, all she had to do was follow a guide to ancient ruins and hatch an egg by the next full moon. Since the last full moon was two days ago, she had almost a month. It was plenty of time. And if May and Max came, she could get to know them better and maybe the trip wouldn't be so lonesome.

"I'll do it," she said with a grin. "Let me talk to May and Max, please."

"By all means." Lady Lalioné couldn't hide her grin. Dawn excused herself and ran outside, where she quickly explained the situation until she was out of breath.

"So...this lady wants you to hatch her not-quite-fossilized Teddiursa egg in some secret chamber in ancient ruins, way down south on Calarai Island?" Max asked in disbelief. He pushed his glasses up his nose and exchanged hesitant glances with his sister.

"Pretty much," Dawn replied.

"Well..."

"It's only a month off-schedule, Max," May said enthusiastically. "We just won't sight-see for a while when we get back. Come on, Max, when else are you going to get a free trip to Calarai Island?"

"Never," Dawn added as persuasion. Max rolled his eyes and nodded.

"I guess we can go," he said. "Except we should talk to mom and dad first. They need to know where we are, right?"

"You can use our phone," Johanna offered. After May and Max scurried inside, she asked, "Dawn, if you can tell us the details now, why did Lady Lalioné send us out?"

"I don't know," Dawn admitted. "Maybe she thought if you guys were there, you'd pressure me into answering how you wanted instead of what I felt was right."

They returned inside and sat back in the family room. Before long, May and Max told them that they had permission to go with Dawn. Lady Lalioné smiled, then motioned to Crawford once more. He picked up the egg and handed it to Dawn, who held it delicately.

"Crawford shall be by tomorrow morning to pick you up," Lady Lalioné said. "The jet will leave at ten a.m. sharp, so be ready for eight-thirty if you can. I can't thank you children enough for doing this for me. Bless you all."

Crawford helped her as she rose off the sofa, and he clung to her arm protectively as he led her out the door and into the red convertible. They said their farewells and drove off. Darkness had almost completely descended upon Twinleaf Town. Johanna went to call the Pokémon indoors, where Dawn's showed them to the cellar. During the summer, most of hers liked to sleep down there as it was lightly furnished and much cooler. Piplup went with them instead of following Dawn to her room.

She managed to find two single air mattresses and blew them up. May helped her put sheets on them while Max found pillows and a place to change. "This is so exciting," May whispered after they'd turned out the lights. "I can't believe we're going to Calarai Island! Dawn...thank you. You really didn't have to invite us along."

Dawn smiled sleepily. "It'll be fun," she murmured, then surrendered to sleep.


	3. An Unusual Request

**It's up at last! (...That's what she said.) Silent readers: make yourselves know. I like it. Mhm. **

**Ash is not in this chapter, nor is he in the next one. But don't be discouraged! This is still a Pearlshipping fic. Ash just doesn't appear until later. And the fight isn't explained until later either, but it IS explained. Fret not. Everything will come together later. You just have to trust me.**

* * *

**Chapter Two An Unusual Request**

"Dawn? Wake up, Dawn. It's seven."

Dawn roused from her rather-pleasant dream, which had been filled with romance and elegant ballroom gowns, and stared up at May's bright face. She wondered if the older girl had slept a wink last night. She was practically vibrating with excitement.

Dawn sat up and stretched her arms high above her head. Max was still snoring loudly, but May went over to prod him awake with her toe. Dawn swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood, shaking her head to clear the rush from rising too fast. "Morning," she mumbled.

May was already dressed. She had not abandoned her classic style of bike shorts, though she had taken to wearing denim skirts overtop instead. Her scarlet-and-gold t-shirt barely grazed the top of her skirt, and she had let go of the "fanny pack". A single black strap crossed from her left shoulder to her right hip with a little green backpack sitting in the small of her back. Dawn noticed that she still wore her classic bandana, though this one was yellow with red markings.

"I'm going to go wash up," Dawn yawned, choosing clothes from her closet and heading to the washroom. After cleaning herself up for the day, she went through her drawers and grabbed things she used while travelling. When she got back to her room, she shoved them into a pocket in her bag. The egg sat safely within; she used changes of clothes to cushion it from bouncing around.

Max was now up and dressed, and the three tidied up their belongings before heading downstairs. Johanna was just setting a large plate of pancakes in the center as they entered the kitchen.

"Morning!" she said brightly. "You've got lots to eat for breakfast. I've made pancakes – regular, blueberry, and chocolate chip – as well as bacon, scrambled eggs, and heaps of toast. I don't want any of you flying on an empty stomach. Why are you all just standing there? Go on, dig in!"

Max needed no more encouragement. He immediately began wolfing down food the second his bum hit the chair. May looked ready to do the same thing – she loved her food, Dawn remembered – but after watching Max, she simply covered her face in embarrassment. The girls sat down and helped themselves to what was left after Max's first course, though it turned out to be more than filling.

"What time were you up, Mom?" Dawn asked, patting her full stomach.

"Around five-thirty. Glameow needed some pain medication." She indicated the cat, which slept on a pillow in the corner of the kitchen. "I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to make breakfast."

"We're grateful," May said. She eyed Glameow curiously, but didn't prod into why she needed pain medication.

They had almost finished cleaning up the leftovers and dishes when the doorbell rang. It was eight-thirty, Dawn realised with a jolt, and Johanna went to answer the door. Dawn, May and Max gathered their bags and went to the cellar, where they recalled all of their Pokémon. Then they said their goodbyes to Johanna, May and Max thanking her for her hospitality, and followed Crawford outside.

"Aw, man," Max complained. They were not to travel in the flashy convertible; instead, Crawford drove a large black sedan, though it had the same emblem on it that the convertible had. "I hope there's room for all of us."

"We're three small people with three small bags. I think we'll be okay," May pointed out. "You sit on that side, Max. I'll go in the middle. That way, Dawn and I won't have to talk over your head."

"What if I want to talk, too?"

"Oh, you're telling me that you want to talk about girl stuff? Never thought you had it in you."

"Shut up," Max rolled his eyes, but begrudgingly went and sat behind Crawford. May and Dawn climbed in and buckled up. It was surprisingly roomy in the back seat. The car seemed bigger on the inside than it did on the outside.

The drive to the private airfield took over an hour. May and Dawn did not talk as they warned Max they would. Instead, the three fell asleep almost as soon as the car started rolling. The extra time of sleep allowed them to wake up alert; Max immediately pressed his nose against the glass and stared at the jet that awaited them.

It looked like a normal passenger plane, though it was a bit smaller and more aerodynamic. On the side was painted the same emblem that had been on the red convertible and on the sedan. Now that it was enlarged, Dawn saw that the "C" in _Capere _was actually a Lunar Wing.

"Lady Lalioné must like the moon," she muttered to May, who rolled her eyes and nodded in agreement.

A transportable escalator took them from the ground up into the jet. Inside was extravagantly decorated with all things cosmic, from lamps shaped like planets to seats with starry fabric. It was a bit overboard, Dawn thought, though beautiful nonetheless.

Lady Lalioné sat in one of the chairs and smiled at them as they entered the jet. "Welcome, children," she greeted. She shakily rose to her feet; Crawford, who had followed them into the plane, went over to help her. She accepted his arm and leaned against it. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited a Pokémon breeder along to help you care for the egg. He's worked for me for the past six months and helped me take care of my Pokémon as I get older."

"Why didn't you just ask him to go?" Max blurted, voicing the question that popped up in Dawn's mind.

"Because I'm entrusting it to Dawn," Lady Lalioné answered sharply. "Look at her. She's young, beautiful, lively...I'm sure that she is the one for this. Besides, I had already studied Dawn's history extensively. I didn't have time to go over his in the same way."

"Where is he?" Dawn asked.

"Actually, I sent him ahead. He arrived in Calarai last night. Though I do believe that all of you are well acquainted with him."

"It's Brock, isn't it?" May asked excitedly. At Lady Lalioné's smile, May squealed and clapped her hands together. "I knew it! I haven't seen him in _years_!"

"I had best be off," Lady Lalioné said after a short pause. "I'm taking another flight down to Calarai Island in a few weeks. The humidity there isn't good for me, or I'd stay longer. Dawn, you have my Teddiursa, yes?"

Dawn nodded and pulled her bag off her shoulders, opening it to show the egg nestled safely within. Lady Lalioné sighed in relief and patted her cheek affectionately. "Good girl. Oh, Dawn...I know I'm asking for a lot, but could you do me one more favour?"

"Sure," she replied. "Anything."

"It's said that if a Teddiursa hatches on a full moon, it will be blessed by all of the planets and stars in the sky. Call me a superstitious old woman, but could you...?"

"Hatch it on the full moon?"

Lady Lalioné nodded. Dawn bobbed her head back. "I'll try my best," she said. If she was to hatch it on the full moon, it would be on the last day of the trip, she thought. Lady Lalioné had said they needed to be there "by the next full moon". Waiting until then to hatch Teddiursa was cutting it awfully close, but it was a challenge Dawn was willing to face.

Crawford helped the Lady out of the plane and onto the escalator. Dawn, May and Max watched from the windows as they climbed into the black sedan. The pilot of the jet shut the door they'd come through, then went back into the cockpit. The three took their seats and buckled up as the plane began to move down the runway.

"I can't wait to get to Calarai!" May laughed. The plane picked up speed.

"I can't wait to see Brock," Max added.

"Yeah," Dawn agreed. She hadn't seen the older boy since she parted ways with Ash, for Brock and Ash continued their journey together. Dawn held nothing against Brock, and she didn't think he had bitterness towards her. She hoped that he didn't. Awkwardness was all she needed.

The jet lifted off the ground and rose into the air. Dawn popped her ears to adjust to the pressure. Before long, the pilot's voice echoed over an intercom and informed them that they could release their small Pokémon if they wanted. They were also told only to move around when necessary to avoid any accidents. Dawn released Piplup, Vulpix and Chikorita, though figured Lopunny could be risking it and Pachirisu could become too hyper-active. May let out Skitty, Wartortle and Glaceon while Max released his Misdreavus and Nincada.

"Sorry, Gardevoir," he said the Pokémon's ball. "I think the plane'll get too crowded if I let you out."

"Are those your only Pokémon, Max?" Dawn asked curiously. She could have sworn there had been more last night.

"Nah, I also have a Vibrava, but he's afraid of heights."

Dawn let out a disbelieving laugh, then covered her mouth and flushed in embarrassment when she realised Max wasn't kidding. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I caught him when he was a Trapinch – and I literally _caught _him. He had been chased up a cliff by a pack of Poochyena and fell. I was climbing up when I saw him falling and I caught him. But I guess falling like that made him afraid of flying and heights. We're trying to work through it, but it's tough. He's not the most trusting of Pokémon."

Vulpix and Skitty seemed to have formed a solid friendship from the night before, for they curled up next to each other and fell asleep almost instantly. Chikorita busied himself by head-butting Dawn's legs, then jumped into her lap and head-butted her abdomen. Piplup glanced at him jealously, then seemed to find better things to do as it explored the cabin with the others.

"Say, what did Lady Lalioné say to you right before she left?" May asked, stroking the head of her Glaceon as it sat obediently beside her seat.

"Oh! She wants me to hatch the egg on the full moon. Weird, huh?"

"Very. I mean, how can you control that?"

"Well, don't forget that I have to get to a certain room in the ruins to hatch it. That's the only one with the 'magical properties'." She made the air quotes and shrugged uncertainly. This whole trip was odd, but it was basically a paid vacation. And if it worked, it would be her that proved to the world that there was a real power inside the Ruins of Calarai.

The flight was to last just over three hours. A movie played for the first hour-and-a-half, then was followed by Sinnoh Now and various sitcom reruns. The Pokémon behaved themselves, spending most of the flight sleeping or finding quiet means of entertainment. There was quite a bit of turbulence fifteen minutes prior to landing, but they came out of it quickly. Dawn's heart began to pound when the pilot announced that they'd landed on Calarai Island; she and the others recalled their Pokémon and gathered their bags in preparation for exit.

If Dawn thought it was hot back home, it was nothing compared to the air that hit her when the door was opened. Combined with the humidity, she felt her skin immediately begin to perspire. Behind her, May gasped from the shock and began fanning her face with her hand. The pilot helped to guide a set of stairs up to the plane before telling his passengers that it was safe to exit.

Once Dawn hit the ground, she look a good look at her surroundings. Calarai was nothing like she'd imagined. She had thought they'd land at a crowded airport with glass walls and marble floors, but there was nothing of the sort.

They'd landed on the outskirts of a shabby-looking town. Course, orange sand was the ground they trod on. The few buildings they could see were small and made of wooden planks. In the middle of the street was a large market, and Dawn saw that it _was _crowded...but not full of the rich and luxurious. These were townspeople: farmers.

"Oh!" May exclaimed, pointing to the west. Dawn followed her gaze and saw the beginning of the jungle. It was more like she'd expected: full of luscious green trees and brightly-coloured plants and flowers. The cries of several different kinds of Pokémon echoed from the trees and into the town.

"Hello-o-o there!" called a familiar voice. Dawn, May and Max broke into identical grins before running towards the young man who'd called to greet them.

"Brock!" they yelled. May reached him first and wrapped her arms around him for a tight hug. His brows raised in shock; clearly, Lady Lalioné hadn't told him that May and Max were along for the ride. Max went for a greeting next, but Dawn held back apprehensively and took a moment to survey her old friend.

It was odd to see him in shorts after he'd worn long pants for all of their journeys together, though it was a nice change. He also had to abandon his vests and pullovers from the heat, though his colour scheme didn't seem to have changed. His shorts were brown, and his t-shirt was green with orange around the neckline. On the left side of his chest was a _Capere Luna _emblem on it to show he worked for Lady Lalioné. He'd grown a few inches taller and his brown, spiky hair had grown out, but it was still just as wild as ever. Dawn checked a grin as she saw his head turn to watch the pretty flight attendant who had assisted them in their flight at meal time. Clearly he was still chasing after girls, though he seemed to have controlled the urge to leap out at them.

"Hey, Dawn," he said with a relaxed smile, and Dawn breathed a sigh of relief as she hugged her old friend. He obviously didn't blame her for the...the mess. "May, Max, I didn't know you were coming!"

"We ran into each other yesterday," Dawn explained. "I invited them to my house and Lady Lalioné was there waiting for me. She said she could pull some strings to allow them to come with me. She didn't tell us you were here until this morning! When did you start working for her?"

Brock motioned for them to start walking and they followed him down the road. "About six months ago, I entered a Breeding Competition with some of my Pokémon. We came in second, but Lady Lalioné approached me afterwards and said that she was impressed, not just with the quality of my Pokémon, but at how young I was. She said that she could use a young and knowledgeable breeder like myself to help tend to her Pokémon in her old age. After we talked for a bit, she hired me. Then a while ago, she received an old egg and got it in her head to hatch it at the Ruins of Calarai. She send that she wanted a specific trainer to do the job, but that she wanted me to go as well since I know how to take proper care of eggs. Although, she wasn't very good with the details. She never told me why she had to get another trainer instead of just sending me down."

"She wasn't really clear with me either, and I'm the one she picked to send. The closest answer I got was that I 'remind her of herself', and I guess if she believes that then she can sort-of feel that she's doing this thing." She frowned for a moment before she asked, "Have you ever heard of someone hatching an egg at the precise moment they want to?"

"What do you mean?"

"She wants me to hatch it on the next full moon. She said it was based off some superstition. I don't really know what to think of it, but I said I'd try."

"Hm."

May and Dawn stopped in the middle of the market to look at some jewellery a vendor was selling, but Brock pulled them away. "I did some research on Calarai before I came here," he said. "Trust me, you don't want to buy anything from here. Here we are!"

They stood in front of a building far grander than the others in appearance, though it was still quite small. Its design was curved with a rounded roof. Against the orange sand, the white paint seemed to brighten and Dawn had to shield her eyes. It was surrounded by a high, concrete fence and a gate decorated with vines. "It's beautiful!" she said.

"Is this our hotel for tonight?" May asked.

"Yeah. Come on, let's get to our rooms. I guess we'll share a room and leave the girls to their makeup, Max," Brock teased. He pulled a key card out of his pocket and waved it in front of a sensor. There was a _click _and then the gates opened, allowing them to walk through. Once inside, Brock handled the business at the front desk while the others could merely gape at the beauty. He came back shortly and handed a key to Max, then gave May and Dawn theirs. "You're allowed to let your Pokémon out in the back," he said, then led the way to show them.

After letting their Pokémon out and watching them play, Brock turned to them again and said, "They serve dinner in another half-hour. I know," he laughed when he saw their surprised faces, "it's really early, but it's custom. Why don't we all go clean up and meet back in the restaurant? It's through that archway." He pointed to his left. They agreed to this and headed upstairs.

"I suppose we head out first thing tomorrow," Dawn remarked to May as they touched up their appearance.

"I'm looking forward to it. Do you think there are any exotic Pokémon here?"

"Well, Calarai was once part of Sinnoh," Dawn said, remembering the fact from her old school days. "I don't think we'll run into anything _new_, but supposedly it has a high rate of different-coloured Pokémon. That's pretty neat, I think."

Someone knocked on their door. "You girls almost ready?" Brock asked.

"Coming!" May called back. "You ready to go down?"

"Yep." Dawn pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, then followed May out the door and down to dinner.


End file.
